STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
100 Men Who Care write $100 checks in support of local nonprofits four times a year.
On Tuesday they will be rewarded for their check writing with a performance from The Liberty Theatre Company accompanied by food and drink following their quarterly meeting at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden.
100 Men Who Care gave the Liberty Theatre Company a donation for its campaign to refurbish the Liberty Theatre at its last meeting. Sun Valley Culinary Institute will provide the food and 100 Men Who Care member John Wolcott will provide beverages.
Men will hear brief presentations from three nonprofits vying for funds at the meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m.:
- Wood River Trails Coalition hosts volunteer trail work parties to maintain trails. It also supports professional trail crews with funding. Last year more than 200 volunteers put in 800 hours to cut out downed trees, pare back stinging nettle and repair water and other damage to accommodate a conservative 133,428 trail user days on 400-plus miles of trails on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land surrounding the Wood River Valley.
- Men’s Second Chance Living has offered a safe, sober and supportive living environment for up to eight men at a time who are recovering from substance abuse. The men receive medical, dental and behavioral healthcare while at the home, along with nutritional assistance, financial education and skills training.
Since 2018 the house has worked with 47 men. But it gets more applications than it can fulfill. Consequently, MSCL is attempting to buy a second home for an additional six to eight men.
- Rotarun Ski Area provides free or discounted skiing, instruction and equipment to needy youngsters in the Woo River Valley. Just last year it served 270 youngsters.
Representatives of the three organizations will give their pitches at 5:30 p.m. The social will follow at 6:30 p.m. and the entertainment will start at 7 p.m. Spouses are welcome to attend.
100 Men Who Care awarded $25,950 in donations at its quarterly meeting in April. They gave:
- $17,800 to the Liberty Theater Company to help the theater company perform structural renovations necessary before the theater can be moved into.
- $3,550 to Community Table. The Community Table/La Mesa Comunitaria has hosted picnics and children’s activities at neighborhoods from Carey to Ketchum in an event run by Wood River High School and Sun Valley Community School students with assistance from teachers and community organizers.
- $4,600 to Ketchum Community Dinners Curbside, which provides as many as a hundred meals every Wednesday night rain, shine or snow.
100 men Who Care has given about $350,000 since its first meeting in February 2013.